Preface

William N. Garrison

Christianity is and has always been paradoxical. In the epilogue of his
one volume History of Christianity, English Historian Paul Johnson
highlights this paradox, the tension which has always existed among the
people who have sincerely sought to be or proclaimed themselves to be
the followers and disciples of Jesus Christ. While he acknowledges in
his book that he has stressed Christianity's "failures and shortcomings,
and its institutional distortions", he perceptively recognizes that the
purpose of Christianity is not to create "dynamic societies . . . but to
enable individuals to achieve liberation and maturity in a specific and
moral sense." The essence of Christianity is often seen in history as
only institutional and in confrontation with government and other
institutions, invariably vying with them for power and control. Dr.
Johnson suggests that any true understanding and appreciation of
Christianity must have as its basis the Pauline wisdom to the Corinthian
Church. " . . . Divine folly is wiser than the wisdom of men, and divine
weakness stronger than man's strength . . . to shame the wise, God has
chosen what the world counts weakness. He has chosen things low and
contemptible, mere nothings, to overthrow the existing order."

We suggest that the very essence of that tension can be seen in the life
of Jesus of Nazareth. He towers in history above every institutional
effort to be his spokesman, whether that claim be one of exclusivity or
one of superiority among several options. He transcends every effort of
man and institutions to use Him to gain control over the souls and lives
of other men. Rather He stands unblemished by whatever errors, and even
atrocities, have been committed down through these ages by those who
profess to be His disciples and followers.

His claims are at first blush audacious in the extreme. He headed no
government, commanded no army, and wrote no books, but humanity at large
has never been able to completely reject Him or turn its back on Him.
Even an acid pen journalist such as H. L. Mencken, was forced to admit,
"either Jesus arose from the dead or he didn't. If he did then
Christianity becomes plausible." Mencken, like all thinkers, is unable
to dismiss Jesus completely. When Respondent Anthony Flew on page xv
welcomes interaction with "the historic Christian Faith" we interpret it
as a desire to interact with that enigmatic person in history, Jesus of
Nazareth, the one who claimed to be the very essence of Truth. We
believe that same Jesus is quite comfortable and secure in the very
center of honest pursuits of Truth, no matter how frightening or
threatening they may seem to His disciples at any given moment. He does
not so much ask to be defended as He invites close examination, that is
simple, clear illumination of the Man, His life, His actions, His
claims, and the reality that His followers and disciples have for
nineteen millennia agreed with the apostles that He is living today.

This audacity is captured by C. S. Lewis in his Screwtape Letters when
he describes God as "cynically indifferent to the dignity of his
position" and in that spirit we acknowledge a bit of audacity in
entitling this publication "Truth". It is done with a sense of
excitement in anticipation of what might follow. In all of Church
history intellectual interaction and pursuit of Truth has been conducted
under the critical eye of institutions which have perceived themselves
as guardians of the Faith itself. This has too often been in terms of
institutional domains or creedal statements as the first line of
defense. If, however, Jesus is indeed resurrected, is indeed the
Anointed One of God, is indeed alive today, the possibility must be
faced that it is He who must be in charge not only of the world but in
charge of History. If that be the case His view of History would be
dynamic, moving on His course and on His schedule toward a consummation
which He plans for it. It is with this sense of expectancy that this
journal is launched, not to rediscover Eternal Truth or discover a
heretofore unknown element of Eternal Truth, but to unashamedly
encourage legitimate intellectual pursuit, spiritually disciplined by
the presence in history of that man about whom the Apostle Paul said
"the whole universe has been created through him and for him. And he
exists before everything, and all things are held together in him."